Not everyone wants to reform Ohio - Top Dems oppose election issues

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http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/113049203553500.xml&coll=2Not everyone wants to reform Ohio

Friday, October 28, 2005

-- Campaign wars over Ohio's long list of fall ballot issues intensified Thursday, as several top county Democrats lined up against a package of election reforms painted by critics as having been written for their party's benefit...

It also came on the same day that the first indictments were brought in the far-reaching state investment scandal involving rare-coin dealer Tom Noe, a controversy whose fallout helped galvanize the would-be reformers.

Opposition from some county Democratic chairs -- including Cuyahoga County's Jimmy Dimora and Susan Gwinn, who chairs Athens County's party and the Democratic County Chairs Association -- was the latest blow to Reform Ohio Now, or RON. The group proposes sweeping reforms in elections administration, voting, campaign finance and district-drawing in Issues 2 through 5...

Earlier this week, a University of Akron poll found support for Issue 2, which would allow early voting in Ohio, and Issue 3, which would lower campaign donation limits, while the two others were faltering among voters...


http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?
AID=/20051028/NEWS09/510280400/-1/NEWS

Both sides of ballot largely even in cash

By JIM PROVANCE
BLADE COLUMBUS BUREAU


COLUMBUS - Cincinnati financier Carl Lindner, Columbus Blue Jackets majority owner John McConnell, First Energy Corp., and The Timken Co. have opened their checkbooks in a big way to fight a massive rewrite of Ohio election law at the polls...

While Republicans have largely stayed unified in their opposition to the election-related issues, Democrats are splintering. While the Ohio Democratic Party has stayed silent and plans to make no endorsement at an executive committee meeting tomorrow, a number of Democratic factions, elected officials, and traditional constituencies have backed the amendments.

Yesterday, a small group of Democrat county chairmen met in Cleveland to announce their opposition to all of the election-related amendments with the exception of Issue 2, no-fault absentee ballots.

• No on State Issue 2 | 10/28/2005
• Redistricting plan touted as mandate for competition | 10/25/2005
• Issue 4 gathers West Coast backing | 10/22/2005
• Lawmaker drops plan to authorize judicial recalls | 10/21/2005
• Ohio House endorses no-fault absentee voting | 10/20/2005
• Ohio Senate GOP approves own bill for absentee ballots | 10/19/2005
• Schwarzenegger backs Ohio's Issue 4 reform initiatives | 10/19/2005
• Foes of redistricting plan in Ohio warn of disaster | 09/30/2005
• Churches get involved in election campaign | 09/28/2005
• Democrats seek to limit contractors' campaign donations | 09/28/2005
• A system for clean elections | 09/24/2005
• Election reformers snap up opponents' likely Web sites | 09/16/2005
• The people will decide | 09/13/2005
• Election-reform challenge denied | 09/10/2005
• Court urged to ax Ohio election reform | 09/09/2005
More related articles »


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INVENTORY
The following are documents detailing evidence taken when Tom Noe's Toledo collectibles shop was raided.

• Page 1 | Page 2...

•• Page 13

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1. Blade link again

Funds flow to Ohio election issues